Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to finalise plans for the distribution of Alternative Fuel Payments for people who live in off-grid properties.

The Government is providing a £200 Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) to help those households in Great Britain which use alternative fuels such as biomass or heating oil to meet energy costs this winter. Most households eligible for the AFP support in Great Britain, such as those in off-grid properties, will receive payment automatically via their electricity supplier in February. Those households that will need to apply for the AFP, for example because they do not have a relationship with an electricity supplier, will be able to do so in February.